“Every second of non-cut time that can be eliminated from the machining process provides manufacturers with a step above the competition,” says David Ward, Makino’s horizontal product line manager. “IAC technology provides that advantage by evaluating and optimizing the acceleration and deceleration settings on a per-pallet basis. For a production manufacturer, this could mean thousands of additional parts produced on each horizontal machining center over a year’s time.”

The foundation for IAC technology lies in Makino’s direct-drive (DD) rotary table design that provides inertia feedback from the B-axis motor to the machining center’s control system. While acceleration and deceleration rates for standard rotary tables are typically set for maximum inertia and weight to ensure accuracy, IAC uses data from the DD rotary table to quickly evaluate and adjust acceleration and deceleration settings to optimal levels for the specific pallet condition.

IAC technology is currently available on Makino’s nx line of horizontal machining centers, the a51nx and a61nx. These 40-taper machining centers extend the capabilities of the highly successful a-series with a host of technologies for next-generation productivity, accuracy and reliability. The a51nx and a61nx feature pallet sizes of 400mm and 500mm, respectively.